THE CAUCUS; Publicity Tour, Interrupted

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN WITH KENNEDY ABWAO

Published: October 8, 2008

Jerome R. Corsi went to Kenya on Tuesday to publicize his newest book, ''The Obama Nation,'' a work full of unsubstantiated accusations about Senator Barack Obama's drug use, his connections to Islam and his relationships with Kenyan politicians, among other things.

The chairs and microphone were all set up in one of the biggest hotels in Nairobi, and the room was crowded with journalists eager to hear what Mr. Corsi would say about the man who is adored in Kenya like a native son. (Mr. Obama's father was Kenyan.) But the presentation was not to be.

A few minutes before he was to speak, more than 20 Kenyan immigration agents swooped into the hotel, whisked Mr. Corsi off to the immigration office, below, and accused him of misleading them on his entry papers. By the end of the day, Mr. Corsi's aides said he was being deported.

Kenyan officials said his arrest had nothing to do with politics.

''His immigration forms were not in order,'' said Elias Njeru, a spokesman for Kenya's immigration department.

Mr. Njeru said Mr. Corsi had arrived on a tourist visa, which made it illegal for him to work. But Mr. Corsi's aides said the authorities were simply trying to muzzle him.

''They just didn't want him to talk about Obama from Kenya,'' said Peter Mbae, Mr. Corsi's publicist there.

His aides said Mr. Corsi had been looking forward to presenting evidence of close ties between Mr. Obama and Raila Odinga, Kenya's prime minister. This may have been what led Mr. Corsi to the door. Kenya's minister of immigration, for one, is a political ally of Mr. Odinga.

Whatever the issue, by 8 p.m., Mr. Corsi was at the airport, waiting for a flight out of Kenya, Mr. Mbae said.